Aluminum Phosphide for Bulk Grain Fumigation in Uganda

Abstract

Although aluminum phosphide has been used in Germany for over 20 years as a grain fumigant, it is only recently, with the patenting of a new formula, that the method has received renewed attention by outside countries. The new formulation consists of aluminum phosphide combined with ammonium carbonate, which latter readily decomposes into carbon dioxide and ammonia, enabling a much finer grinding of the aluminum phosphide to be carried out in the presence of the carbon dioxide evolved. A result of this is that the tablets decompose more readily and completely and at the end of the fumigation no special steps need be taken to remove any residues. The normal dosage is from to-15 tablets a ton depending on the conditions under which the grain is stored. Each tablet weighs about 3 grams.